Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has sparked controversy after pulling a woman doctor's hijab during a government event in the state capital, Patna. A video of the incident has gone viral on social media platforms. In the clip, the 74-year-old Janata Dal (United) chief can be seen presenting a certificate to an AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) doctor during the event. Kumar then gestured for the woman to remove her hijab and subsequently pulled it down, exposing her face and chin.

As the incident unfolded, some people were seen laughing, while Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary appeared to try and stop Kumar. His actions have once again brought the 10-time Bihar Chief Minister under scrutiny regarding his mental health – an issue raised by several opposition leaders before last month's state assembly elections. Bihar's main opposition party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), questioned Kumar's behavior in a post on X. The party wrote in Hindi, "What has happened to Nitish ji? His mental condition has now reached a completely pathetic state." The Congress party called the Chief Minister's actions "shameless" and "disgusting."

ये बिहार के मुख्यमंत्री नीतीश कुमार हैं।

इनकी बेशर्मी देखिए- एक महिला डॉक्टर जब अपना नियुक्ति पत्र लेने आई तो नीतीश कुमार ने उनका हिजाब खींच लिया।

बिहार के सबसे बड़े पद पर बैठा हुआ आदमी सरेआम ऐसी नीच हरकत कर रहा है। सोचिए- राज्य में महिलाएं कितनी सुरक्षित होंगी?

नीतीश कुमार… pic.twitter.com/2AO6czZfAA

— Congress (@INCIndia) December 15, 2025

Earlier, a few weeks before the Bihar elections, Kumar faced criticism after a video went viral showing him putting a garland on a woman at a public event. He also reprimanded a member of his own party who tried to stop him. Jan Suraj founder Prashant Kishor had repeatedly questioned Kumar's mental health and stated that he was not fit to govern. Kumar's JD(U) and its ally BJP secured a landslide victory in the Bihar elections, winning over 200 seats in the 243-seat assembly.